West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University football team is set to return home after two away games. They will face Tennessee State at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois, with a kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 9. This game also marks the 70s-era Player Reunion Weekend.

Western Illinois, known as the Leathernecks, currently holds a record of 3-6 overall and 2-3 in league play. Their recent game ended in a loss against Eastern Illinois, where WIU quarterback Nathan Lamb threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns. The team averages 29.11 points per game while allowing an average of 43.78 points.

Tennessee State enters the match with a record of 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big South/OVC conference. They are coming off a defeat by UT Martin with a score of 28-21. Quarterback Draylen Ellis threw for 312 yards during that game.

This upcoming match will be the first meeting between Western Illinois and Tennessee State.

Following this weekend's game, Western Illinois will travel to face Southeast Missouri State, while Tennessee State will visit Gardner-Webb.

In other news from around the Big South-OHIO Valley Conference last week: Charleston Southern remained winless after losing to Gardner-Webb; Eastern Illinois claimed their first conference victory against Western Illinois; UT Martin defeated Tennessee State; Tennessee Tech secured a win over Lindenwood; Southeast Missouri State had a bye week.

Several players were recognized for their performances last week:

MJ Flowers from Eastern Illinois was named Offensive Player of the Week after accumulating 280 all-purpose yards and scoring three touchdowns against Western Illinois.

Davion Williams from Charleston Southern and Cayman Spaulding from Tennessee Tech shared Defensive Co-Player of the Week honors for their respective contributions on defense.

CJ Evans from Tennessee State earned Special Teams Player of the Week by returning his second kickoff for a touchdown this season during their game against UT Martin.

Tyson Greenwade from Charleston Southern was named Freshman of the Week for his performance against Gardner-Webb.

For more information about Leatherneck Football, fans can visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.